Screening of heart patients for depression in multiple settings, including the hospital, physician's office, clinic, and cardiac rehabilitation center.

Coordination of care between health providers.

"The statement was prompted by the growing body of evidence that shows a link between depression in cardiac patients and a poorer long-term outlook," says Erika Froelicher, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, and co-chair of the writing group.

The statement, which was the first to specifically focus on depression and heart disease, is important, since depression is a common problem in heart patients.

One study found that 15 percent to 20 percent of hospitalized heart attack patients met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for major depression.

And an even greater proportion of the patients showed more depressive symptoms than the general population, though they did not meet the diagnostic criteria for depression.

Mental Health Linked to Healthy Recovery

Depressed heart patients are less likely to take their medicines as directed, improve their diets, exercise, or attend cardiac rehabilitation sessions.

"There is no direct evidence yet that treating depression improves coronary heart disease outcomes, but plenty of evidence shows that having depression worsens those outcomes," says Judith H. Lichtman, Ph.D., of Yale University School of Medicine and co-chair of the writing group.

"By understanding the prevalence of depression and learning more about the subgroups of heart patients at particular risk of depression, we can begin to understand the best ways to recognize and treat it,” she says.

Always consult your physician for more information.

Online Resources

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December 2008

When to Seek a Mental Health Evaluation

Knowing when to seek treatment for mental health disorders is important for parents and families.

Many times, families, spouses, or friends are the first to suspect that their loved one is challenged by feelings, behaviors, and/or environmental conditions that cause them to act disruptive, rebellious, or sad.

This may include, but is not limited to, problems with relationships with friends and/or family members, work, sleeping, eating, substance abuse, emotional expression, coping, attentiveness, and responsiveness.

It is also important to know that persons of different ages will exhibit different symptoms and behaviors.

It is important for families who suspect a problem in one, or more, of these areas to seek treatment as soon as possible.

The following are the most common symptoms of a potential problem:

significant decline in work performance, poor work attendance, and/or lack of productivity